Highland Street in West Duluth will be temporarily closed from 59th to 62nd Avenue West during the daytime on August 14-15. This is due to CN Railroad's routine inspection of the Highland Street bridge.
Traffic detour signs will guide drivers to use Olney Street instead. The closure is scheduled only for the daytime, allowing the road to be open in the evenings. For large vehicles, alternative routes include Vinland Street, Boundary Avenue, Highway 2, I-35, Cody Street, and 59th Avenue West.
Nearly 37% of residents in the Arrowhead region, which includes St. Louis County, qualified for a property tax refund in 2023, the most recent year for which information is available.
Under the leadership of Chamber President Matt Baumgartner, Duluth and St. Louis County Days has become a respected presence at the Capitol. Legislators expect it. Policymakers notice it. And participants leave knowing their region’s voice has been heard.
For now, the political formula in Minnesota’s 8th District remains remarkably consistent. Duluth votes. The Iron Range votes. Then the rest of northern Minnesota votes. And the rest of northern Minnesota is usually enough.
Duluth and St. Louis County are not asking for luxury investments. They are asking for help maintaining systems — water treatment plants, shoreline protection, waste management infrastructure — whose costs exceed what local taxpayers alone can reasonably sustain.
“Downtown Duluth has needed attention for a long time. It’s become worse every year and I really don’t think it’s going to get any better.” -- Longtime Downtown Duluth businessman Nick Patronas, who pointed to regulatory and financial barriers that, in his view, continue to limit redevelopment.
The lesson of Sandstone is not nostalgia for a past that cannot fully return. It is a reminder of what is possible when people choose to engage with one another — when they know their neighbors, watch out for each other’s children and build something larger than themselves.
“I want to be the greatest D lineman to ever play arena football. So that's why I'm still out here crafting and getting better every day because that's my goal, to be the best ever.” -- Claude Davis, former New York Jets practice squad player
“The guys are expected to play fast, know what they're doing, communicate, make sure they stay in the weight room, eat well, and take care of their bodies because you can't make the club in the tub.” -- Minnesota Monsters head coach Daron Clark Jr.